Rae (Captured Hearts Book 1) Page 8

“I don’t want just sex too. I want to be with you. I’ve always wanted you. I was just scared of letting myself feel,” I confess, my voice soft. “You know how I feel about you.” Even though I’ve never said the words to him, I have no doubt that he knows I’m in love with him. It’s not something I’m able to hide. It’s obvious in everything I do and in everything we do together.

  His beautiful gray eyes hold mine as if searching for something, but I’m not sure what.

  “How do you know I’m alone?”

  “What?” I ask, confused.

  “I may have company.”

  It never crossed my mind once that there’d be a woman here. Cole isn’t like that. He’s the most decent man ever and I trust him. “Do you?” I expect him to say no.

  He doesn’t say anything. He just watches me.

  “If you have company, that’s fine. I know you wouldn’t be sleeping with someone else,” I say confidently.

  “Why not?”

  Shaking my head, I say, “You wouldn’t do that to me. You’re not that kind of man. You knew I’d already fallen for you but I just needed to sort out some of my issues. You probably knew I’d be standing here even before I knew I would.” He doesn’t react to my admission that I’ve fallen for him.

  “How could I have known that you’d be standing here tonight? You may have decided I wasn’t worth the risk, or it may have taken you a year to figure it out.”

  “Cole, if you’re trying to make me doubt you, you have to try harder.”

  He looks at me intently. I know he wants me. It’s written all over him. I want him too which is obvious given that I’m standing in his living room wearing the most risqué item I’ve ever worn.

  “Come here,” he says softly. Relieved, my body obeys instantly. I’ve wanted so badly to be in his arms all night. “Don’t ever treat me like I’m your ex. I would never let you down or betray you like that.”

  “I know, baby. I’m sorry.” I wrap my arms around him and kiss him.

  “You look amazing,” he murmurs against my lips. “I’ll remember that you don’t play fair the next time we have a misunderstanding.”

  “I wanted to seduce you, but since I’ve never done that before I wasn’t sure how to go about it,” I admit.

  “You did great. Consider me thoroughly seduced. I’m just glad you didn’t take off your coat as soon as you walked in.”

  An hour later, lying happy and sated on him, I realize I’m no longer scared of the future. I know that whatever happens, as long as Cole is beside me, I’ll be fine. Cole has always been so open and honest with me. I’ve been the one holding back. I’ll always make an effort to be more open. There’s no better time than the present to tell him how I feel and exactly how much he means to me.

  “I love you,” I say against his chest.

  He stills for a second, and then tightens his hold on me. Tilting my face upwards so that I’m looking up at him, he says, “I love you too, Rae.” His lips brush mine so gently. “I’ll always love you.”

  “Do you still want me to move in?”

  “Of course. You don’t need to ask. How soon can you move?”

  “I’m thinking tomorrow. I’ve wasted enough time, and I don’t want to ever spend a single night without you.” I’ll bring as much stuff as I can tomorrow. Hopefully, I’ll move in fully in a few days.

  “You know we’re going to live together for the rest of our lives?”

  “Sweetheart, I’m banking on it.”

  EPILOGUE

  Cole - Three years later

  It’s date night.

  Rae and I have been religiously sticking to our plan to have at least two nights a week just for ourselves. Since the twins were born, we’ve had to make a conscious effort to make time. They’re almost a year old and very active. Our daughter, Ella, constantly likes to test her vocal cords screaming and squealing, while her brother, Cade, is quiet and calm.

  Rae comes into the living room looking incredibly beautiful and sexy in a low-cut, figure-hugging black dress. I wonder if I’ll ever get used to how hard my wife makes my heart beat with just one look. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that this incredible woman is all mine. She’s my best friend, my lover and my soul mate. We don’t have any secrets from each other. She smiles sexily at me when she sees me watching her. She’s thinking of dragging me back to bed. I know because I’m thinking the same thing.

  The doorbell rings, and I’m glad for the distraction because I need to take my wife to dinner and spend the next few hours alone with her.

  We’re still living in London and Enton is doing greater than Luke and I envisaged. A few months ago, Rae published her first book on personal style. It received positive reviews and I couldn’t be more proud of her. She’s just started work on her second book.

  THE END

  Thank you for reading Rae. I hope you enjoyed it. As an independent author, I rely mainly on word-of-mouth for gaining exposure so I would really appreciate it if you would consider leaving an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads.

  If you have any comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at authorerwade@gmail.com

  For new book releases, exclusive excerpts and sales, sign up for my newsletter by clicking this link:

  http://eepurl.com/cGF_j9

  Read on for excerpts from the second novella in the Captured Hearts series, Ana, and from a full-length stand-alone novel, Stay With Me.

  Excerpt: Ana

  Coming November 2017

  Ana Canden

  Luke Charlton is dark, intense and handsome, and the star of all my fantasies. But the man is determined to resist me. Who the hell knows why? Since I really want my fantasies to come true, I decide to play it his way – no strings, and just for one night.

  Luke Charlton

  Ana Canden is off-limits. She’s the kind of woman you call in the morning, and I’m the guy who never calls. I don’t do relationships and no matter how much I want her, I’m not going to cross the line I’ve drawn. But the sexy blonde gives me a taste of what I’ve been denying myself, and has me rethinking my stance on relationships.

  Ana is a stand-alone romance novella with a guaranteed HEA.

  Luke

  I feel her before I see her.

  I swear I don’t know how that shit is even possible.

  .

  I make a beeline for the front door and step out into the cold March night.

  Excerpt: Stay With Me

  Available now

  Sofia Landon

  I moved to San Francisco to start a new job, and I meet the sexy architect I’ll be working for, Julian Scott. He’s the sexiest man I’ve ever seen and the coldest – and he has a secret. Hiding beneath the steely exterior I know is a warm-hearted man. I know I should stay away from him but I don’t. All I want to do is break down his walls and be with him. But he gives me two conditions, and they are non-negotiable.

  Julian Scott

  Immediately I look into her stunning green eyes, I see my carefully constructed existence start to shatter. I wasn’t going to let another woman into my life to destroy me even if she’s the sinfully sexy Sofia Landon with her gorgeous auburn hair and a body that’s made for pleasure. I make it clear that I have nothing to offer her except sex.

  Who will give in first? Will Sofia give up on Julian or will he take a risk and pull down his walls for her?

  Stay With Me is a full-length stand-alone contemporary romance novel.

  Sofia

  As I exit the restroom, I bump right into him and all the air leaves my lungs. He pulls me towards an obscure dimly lit hallway, and I’m pushed up against the wall. He has one hand on the wall, beside my face. His other hand is on my waist. His molten blue eyes sear into me. I briefly wonder what he sees when he looks at me.

  “What are you doing?” he murmurs softly. His voice sounds deeper than usual.

  I can’t utter a word for the life of me. My mouth has gone completely dry. I want to ask him what
he means but I can’t. My entire being is aware that he is touching me. My nerve endings are tingling with excitement, and my lower belly is doing backflips.

  “You’re driving me crazy,” he tells me in that sexy voice. His words go straight between my thighs.

  He lowers his head slowly towards me. His lips are a breath away from mine. He hesitates. I know he’s waiting for me to either push him away or give him my consent. I brush his lips with mine. That sets him off. He claims my lips and devours me with intense hunger.

  My body sparks to life. His kiss is more than I imagined, so much more. He completely devours me sending me into a frenzy of need. He pushes me right against the wall. His body is pressed against mine, and I feel his hard length against my thigh. I moan into his mouth, shamelessly letting him know how much I want him right now. There is no way I am going to stop him if he wants to take me against the wall or on the floor. I don’t care that we are in a bar, and that anyone can walk in on us. I don’t care that our co-workers are right down the hallway probably wondering where we are. The only thing I care about is him satisfying the craving I’ve had since I met him.

  My hands are all over him. I’ve wanted to touch him for a long time and I think I’m trying to make up for all the waiting. I run my hands through his gorgeous and silky blond hair, down to his wide, strong shoulders and to the hard planes of his chest. I want more. I want to touch his skin.

  He breaks the kiss, and in a hoarse voice, says, “Not here.” He doesn’t pull away from me. Instead, he leans his forehead on mine, breathing deeply. My hands are gripping his shoulder.

  “Invite me to your place.”

  I don’t hesitate. Sanity has deserted me. “Come home with me.” I miss his lips on mine. My mind is already imagining all the things we could be doing in my bedroom.

  “I can’t offer you anything more than this.” By “this”, he means sex. That’s absolutely fine by me.

  “That’s what I want.” My voice sounds alien to me. Julian’s kisses have almost robbed me of speech and thought. Right now, I’ll probably agree to anything as long as it gets me to where I desperately want to be . . . under him.

  He looks at me like he wants to see if I’m being honest. I don’t know if he can see my expression clearly in the dim hallway.

  “I can only offer you sex, nothing more,” he repeats. “I am not looking for a relationship.”

  I guess he’s making sure I understand him.

  “I understand.” Yes, I definitely want to have sex with him, and if he’s as good in bed as he is at kissing, then I’ll want to have lots and lots of sex with him.

  His eyes don’t leave mine. “I have two conditions.”

  Anything. “What are they?”

  Click here to buy or read for free on Kindle Unlimited.

  Blurb: Lie With Me

  Coming soon

  (This story is unedited, and is subject to change.)

  Sean Connors

  I fell in love with my best friend’s girl, Addison Walker, and left behind a trail of devastation. I broke all the rules for love and I lost everything. I lost her, and I have no one to blame but myself. Her memory haunts me every single day. Three years after the last time I held her in my arms, I see her in Los Angeles. Is this fate giving us a second chance at love or an opportunity to say goodbye forever?

  Addison Walker

  I’ve been working hard to slowly put back the pieces of my broken life. I never thought I’d see him again. Sean Connors. He’s the one person who could make me sin. And we sinned . . . Until I lost myself and he wasn’t there. Now he’s standing in front of me like he’s just seen a ghost, and all I can do is stare at the man who made me fall in love with him and burn with passion in his arms.

  Will Sean and Addison find redemption, and correct the mistakes of their past? Or will they find out that the cost of being together is too high a price to pay?

  Lie With Me is a full-length contemporary romance novel.